Pulse Clean Energy announces deal with Canadian Solar for first diesel to battery conversion projects

  • May 12, 2022
Pulse Clean Energy announces deal with Canadian Solar for first diesel to battery conversion projects

Pulse Clean Energy has announced it has signed a partnership with leading global energy systems provider Canadian Solar to convert four diesel generation sites into grid-scale battery storage facilities. 

The facilities are due to come online by the end of 2022 and will provide more than 100 MWh of energy storage assets that will support the ongoing deployment of renewables in the UK, paving the way to a cleaner energy system.

The sites – located at Briton Ferry and Tir John in South Wales, Willoughby in Warwickshire and Flatworth in the North East of England – are the first of Pulse Clean Energy’s diesel to battery conversion programme, which it announced earlier this year. It has invested in nine diesel generation sites, which are being decommissioned and repurposed as grid-scale battery storage and energy optimisation assets during 2022 and 2023. 

NASDAQ-listed Canadian Solar was chosen as the EPC to carry out the development of the four sites, with the project marking its first UK-based developments following the successful deployment of energy storage assets in the US.  It will install a battery solution that is optimised to provide both ancillary grid services and energy balancing capabilities. 

The partnership will also see Pulse Clean Energy and Canadian Solar enter into an associated 10-year Long Term Services Agreement (LTSA) for the operation and maintenance of the facilities.

Trevor Wills, Chief Operating Officer at Pulse Clean Energy comments:

“This announcement is an important first step towards our ambition of operating 1GW+ of energy storage assets across multiple markets within the next five years. We are excited to be establishing a partnership with Canadian Solar, which is a leader in the deployment of grid-scale energy storage technologies around the world.

“Battery storage will play a pivotal role in supporting renewables and enabling the low-carbon transition. We are filling the void in infrastructure that can shift power from when it is produced to when it is needed, and are looking forward to the next few years as our facilities come online.”

Shawn Qu, Canadian Solar Chairman and CEO, comments:

“We are thrilled to be working with Pulse Clean Energy to develop its first battery storage projects and help support its ambition to facilitate the clean energy transition in the UK.  It is also an important step for our own global ambitions, with these projects marking our entrance into the UK storage market, bringing the experience we have gained from our previous 2.5 GWh of contracted projects into this important region.”

Pulse Clean Energy launched earlier this year, following the 100% acquisition of Green Frog Power by the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) in October 2021.

For more information, visit www.pulsecleanenergy.com 

ABOUT PULSE CLEAN ENERGY

Pulse Clean Energy’s purpose is to provide the balance and stability needed to ensure renewable energy technologies can thrive. Through innovation in energy storage and optimisation, we enable an energy network that runs entirely carbon free. With a focus that goes beyond energy, to the communities that depend on it, every decision we make is governed by unshakeable ethical and sustainable values.

About Canadian Solar Inc.

Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 in Canada and is one of the world’s largest solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development. Over the past 20 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered around 67 GW of premium-quality, solar photovoltaic modules to customers across the world. Likewise, since entering the project development business in 2010, Canadian Solar has developed, built and connected over 6.3 GWp in over 20 countries across the world. Currently, the Company has 445 MWp of projects in operation, nearly 6 GWp of projects under construction or in backlog (late-stage), and an additional 18.6 GWp of projects in pipeline (mid- to early- stage). Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar and renewable energy industry, having been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2006. For additional information about the Company, follow Canadian Solar on LinkedIn or visit www.canadiansolar.com.

ABOUT IMCO

The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) manages $79 billion of assets on behalf of its clients. IMCO’s mandate is to provide broader public sector institutions with investment management services, including portfolio construction advice, better access to a diverse range of asset classes and sophisticated risk management capabilities. IMCO is an independent organization, operating at arm’s length from government and guided by a highly experienced and professional Board of Directors. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @imcoinvest.

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